Flask clamp



Feb. 11, 1958 N s 2,822,589

FLASK CLAMP Filed" July 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Puss l/inss 3&2, w Mfm Feb. 11, 1958 R. J. HlNES 2,822,589

Fuss; CLAMP Filed July 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Russia J: Hints BY FLASK CLAMP Russell J. Hines, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The Hines gllzlrsk Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

Application July 27, 1955, Serial No. 524,630

2 Claims. (Cl. 22-107) This invention relates to a foundry flask of the type having side walls separable at a corner and more particularly relates to an improved arrangement for closing and separating the side walls at the separable corner.

It is desirable in many applications of foundry flasks to provide for lateral separation of the flask side walls from the mold to break the adhesion before the operator attempts to lift the flask from the mold. Various types of manually operable devices have been provided for releasably clamping the side walls together at a corner of the flask; such clamps usually being arranged to restrict the separation of the side walls on release to a limited spacing sufficient to release the mold without unduly disturbing the flask configuration. Such clamp devices usually coact against springs acting between abutting ends of the side walls and preferably include means for locking the clamps in closed position to prevent inadvertent release during formation of the mold.

Each of the foregoing functions, being deemed essential to the clamping mechanism of a separable foundry flask, have in the past resulted in a multiplicity of operating elements and complexity of flask corner construction which not only increased the cost of producing the flask but also rendered more awkward the handling of flasks by an operator.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for closing and separating a separable flask corner which is simpler and more economical in construction and operation than other devices heretofore used for that purpose and which can be easily transferred from one flask to another.

Briefly, in accordance with this invention, the abutting ends of side walls, which are disposed to form a separable flask corner, are provided with integral extended portions adapted to meet along a common plane parallel to the parting plane of the abutting ends. The extended portions of the side walls are recessed on their mating surfaces to accommodate a compressed helical spring which tends to separate the abutting ends. A rod disposed parallel to the spring axis has one end anchored in one of the extended portions and carries a cam surface pivoted at the other end. A cam guide is supported for free axial movement on the rod intermediate the cam surface and the adjacent extended wall portion and accommodates the cam surface for closing movement against such adjacent extended wall portion. The assembly permits closing movement of the cam surface from any direction and holds the corner in closed position against inadvertent or accidental release. The entire assembly is readily removable from the flask corner and may be easily transferred from one flask to another.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a cope and drag assembled and having a common corner clamp in accordance with this invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are partial views of a flask corner illustrating operation of the corner clamp from two ditferent directions respectively;

Fig. 4 is a partial view of the separable corner of a States Patent a corporation of 2,822,589 Patented F eb. 11, 1958 stacked flask assembly utilizing corner clamps and operating through a common lever inaccordance with this invention. 7

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken along any of the lines 55 in Fig. 4 and showing the flask corner separated;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken along the same lines as Fig. 5 and showing the flask corner closed; and

Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view of a flask corner illustrating a modified form of corner clamp.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings there is shown a cope flask section 10 assembled on top of a drag flask section 12. Each flask section is made up of four side walls 11 with each wall having at its ends wing portions 13 which extend outwardly at 45 to the general course of the wall and which are adapted to meet along a common plane parallel to the parting plane between abutting ends of the side walls.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 in conjunction with Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, the separable corner of a flask is shown with. the clamping assembly for closing and separating the corner in greater detail. Each wing 13 is provided on its inner face with a cylindrical recess 14 which accommodates a helical compression spring 15 that acts to separate the wings when abutting ends of the side walls are joined. The separation of the wings 13 is limited by a bolt 20 passing through the wings and through the helical compression spring and having a nut 22 on one end and a clevis 25 with a cam surface pivoted at the other end on the outside face of the corresponding wings respectively.

Inthe preferred form shown in the drawings the clevis 25 is pivoted to the head end of the bolt 20 on a pivot pin 26 extending transversely through the bolt and has leg extremities 27 and 28 each with a semi-circular configuration forming the cam surface. The center of the semicircular extremity of each leg 27 and 28 is spaced from the pivot pin 26 so that the leg extremities will be thrown. outwardly toward the adjacent wing as the clevis 25 is rotated on the pin 26. An annular cam guide 30 has a diametric slot 31 in one face and a central opening for receiving the rod 20. The cam guide forms a seat for the curved leg extremities 27 and 28 of the clevis and is continually urged into engagement with the clevis by the compression'spring 15. Thus, when the clevis is rotated on the pin 26 it cooperates with the anchored end of the bolt 20 to move the cam guide 30 and the adjacent wing 13 axially along the bolt and against the spring compression from the separated position of Fig. 5 to the closed position of Fig. 6.

The pivoted clevis 25 is provided with a handle 35 at its closed extremity which provides the necessary leverage to close and open the abutting ends of the corresponding side walls. In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the head of the bolt 20 which pivotally supports the clevis 25 has an arcuate formation 37 to permit pivoting of the clevis about its axis with the exception of a projection 38-which acts as a stop or abutment to limit the pivotal movement of the clevis in the closed position. It will be readily apparent that the degree of separation between the wings can be adjusted by simply turning the nut 22 inwardly or outwardly on the bolt 20. It will likewise be recognized that the entire clamp assembly including the bolt 20 and its associated handle operated clevis 25 can be readily removed and applied to any other flask having abutting wings with recessed inner faces for accommodating a spring like 15.

Preferably, the handle 35 is separable from the clevis and, in all the forms except that shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, is connected to the closed end of the clevis by means of a stud 40 and a nut 41 which can be loosened (Figs. 2 and 3) to permit swinging of the handle to different positions so that the clevis can be rotated to position the cam surface to. close, or: open the separable corner of the flask fromv any desired direction.

As a matter of convenience, the clevis 25 may have an opening through its closed end parallel to the pivot axis to form a socket for receiving an extended handle 45 in the'manner shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The extended handle 45 rigidly interconnects the clevis on the cope with that on the drag in a stacked assembly so that a single motion will open or close both the cope and drag section of the flask. The extended handle 45 shown in Fig. 4 is slideable in the sockets of each clevis and preferably-is no longer than the height of the assembled cope and drag flask sections so that neither end of the rod will project beyond the top or bottom of the assembled foundry flask. Fig. 1 illustrates a modified form of the interconnection between the clevis on the cope and the clevis on the drag sections of the flask which embodies a connecting link 46 having a centrally located handle 48. The link 46 may be connected in the arrangement shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The clevis in the modified form of Fig. 1 has leg extremities which are only curved on one side, the other side or edge being squared to act as a stop in the closed position. With this form of clevis, the bolt head may be squared as shown in Fig. 7.

Thus, there has been provided an improved arrangement for closing and separating a separable foundry flask corner which is simple in construction and which may be readily mounted or removed and thereby transferred between flasks which are provided with wing portions designed to accommodate a compression spring in the manner shown and described herein.

I have shown and described what I consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention along with other suggested modified forms, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims;

I claim: 7

1. In a foundry flask having side walls with abuttin ends adapted to be separably inter-connected to form a corner, the abutting ends of said side walls each having extended portions adapted to meet along a common parting plane, resilient means disposed between and coacting with the abutting ends along an axis transverse to the parting plane to urge the abutting ends outwardly from one another, a rod disposed parallel to said transverse axis and having one end anchored to one of said extending portions, means including a cam surface pivotally mounted on the other end of said rod on an axis transverse to the rod axis, a cam guide supported on the rod intermediate said cam surface and another of said extended portions for free axial movement therebetween, said cam guide having a plane face adjacent said lastmentioned of said extended portions and adapted to provide a continuous surface contact therewith, the opposite face of said cam guide adjacent the cam surface having a recessed seat for receiving and retaining the cam surface therein, said cam surface engaging said seat in one pivoted position of said pivotally mounted means and coacting with the anchored end of the rod to urge the cam guide against the adjacent extended portion and thereby to clamp the extended portions of said side walls together, said pivotally mounted means including a plane abutment face disposed generally laterally of said cam surface and engaging said seat in another pivoted position of said last-mentioned means to coact with said anchored end of the rod for limiting the separation of said extended portions to a predetermined spacing.

2. Ina foundry flask in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cam surface on said pivotally mounted means is in the form of a clevis whose leg extremities have a semicircular configuration with the axis of each semi-circular extremity being aligned and spaced from a parallel pivotal axis of said pivotally mounted means andv extending through the legs adjacent said extremities thereof whereby rotation of the semi-circular leg extremities about the pivotal axis will move the periphery of each leg extremity a distance along the rod axis equal to the spacing between the pivotal axis and the aligned axes of the semicircular leg extremities.

EeferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,125 Root Dec. 28, 1897 974,983 McHugh Nov. 8, 1910 1,297,539 Bull Mar. 18, 1919 2,224,961 Hines Dec. 17, 1940 2,289,269 Hines July 7, 1942 2,384,148 Yeager Sept. 14, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 98335.4 France June 22, 1951 has. 

